Balachandra Menon

Menon worked across film director, actor, screenwriter and film producer. This article rests on 1 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — Balachandra Menon • Born — 11 January 1954 • Birthplace — Kollam, Kerala, India • Occupation — * Director • actor • screenwriter • author • journalist • lawyer • producer • distributor • editor • singer • composer • Years Active — 1978 – present • Height — 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) • Parents — Sivasankara Pillai Lalitha Devi • Children — 2 • Website — balachandramenon.com

Balachandra Menon was born in Kollam in 1954 to Shivashankara Pillai and Lalitha Devi. By virtue of his father being a railway station master, he served at Edava railway station and Menon had his formative years of childhood and adolescence life in this village. He studied at Edava Muslim High School, and has narrated nostalgically about his fond memories of his life in Edava in his autobiography Ammayaane Sathyam. He is an alumnus of University College Trivandrum, Fatima Mata National College, Kollam and Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. Sisters: Sushma and Prema. Wife: Varada B. Menon. Children: Akhil Vinayak Menon, Bhavana B. Menon. Menon enrolled as a lawyer on 29 July 2012, 22 years after completing his degree. In 1997, he won the Karshakashree Award for farming from the Government of Kerala. During his early days in Madras, he worked for the film weekly Nana as a correspondent. His column in Nana, 'Nanaji's Cinema Varaphalam' (Nanaji's Cinema Weekly), was very popular at the time. He has completed a diploma in journalism from Press Club, Trivandrum.

• Achuvettante Veedu • Mugam Abhimugam • Samaantharangal • 18 April 19 April • Ninnay Enthinu Kollaam? • Kaanatha Sulthanu Snehapoorvam • Ammayanay Sathyam • Ariyathathu, Ariyendathu • Balachandramenonte 12 cherukathakal • His book Ithirineram Othirikaryam recently released by veteran actor Madhu by handing over a copy to lyricist Sreekumaran Thampi.

• Year — Film — Role — Notes • 1978 — Uthrada Rathri — Dinesh • 1981 — Maniyan Pilla Adhava Maniyan Pilla — Gopinathan • Prema Geethangal — Doctor • Tharattu — Dileep • Thenum Vayambum — Babu Mathew • 1982 — Chiriyo Chiri — Unni • Ithiri Neram Othiri Karyam — Geejo • Kelkatha Shabdam — Lambodharan Nair • Kilukilukkam — Mahendran • 1983 — Karyam Nissaram — Shekhar • Prashnam Gurutharam — Balu • Sesham Kazhchayil — G K Raja • 1984 — Inakkilly — Johnay • April 18 — Ravikumar • Arante Mulla Kochu Mulla — Prabhakaran • Oru Painkilikatha — Kannan • 1985 — Ente Ammu Ninte Thulasi Avarude Chakki — S. Nandakumar • Daivatheyorthu — Achuthankutty — | • Manicheppu Thurannappol • 1986 — Vivahitare Itihile — Appu • Rithubhedam — Rajan • 1987 — Achuvettante Veedu — Vipin • Vilambaram — P. K. Nampoothiri • Oru Maymasappularayil • 1988 — Kudumbapuranam — Krishnanunni • Janmandharam — Police Officer • Isabella — Unnikrishna Menon • David David Mr. David — David • Oohakachavadam — Charlie • 1989 — Kandathum Kettathum — P K Krishnankutty • Najangalude Kochu Doctor — James Varghese • 1990 — Varthamana Kalam — Jameskutty • Noottonnu Raavukal — Vishnu • Sasneham — Thomas Kurien • Kuruppinte Kanakku Pustakom — Vinayachandra Kurup • 1993 — Ammayane Sathyam — S. Narayanan • 1994 — Santhana Gopalam — Sudhakaran • Sukham Sukhakaram • 1995 — Avittam Thirunaal Aarogya Sriman — Prabhakaran • 1996 — Kanden Seethaiyai — Unreleased film • April 19 — Jayapraksh • 1997 — Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu — Pavi • Janathipathyam — Krishnamoorthy IPS • 1998 — The Truth — Chief Minister Madhavan • Samaantharangal — Ismail • 2000 — Sathyameva Jayathe — Ahammed Basheer • Sathyam Sivam Sundaram — K.S.K Nambiar • 2001 — Ishtam — Anjana's Father • 2002 — Krishna Gopalakrishna — Gopalakrishnan • Album — Ranganathan — Tamil film • Nammal — Sathyanadhan • 2003 — Saphalam — Barrister Nambiar • Varum Varunnu Vannu — Johny • 2005 — Rappakal — Deva Narayanan • December — Dr Keshava Patteri • 2006 — Classmates — Prof. Iyer • 2007 — Pranayakalam — Balagopal • 2008 — De Ingottu Nokkiye — Joji • College Kumaran — Narayanan • 2009 — Utharaswayamvaram — Sreedhara 'Yamandan' Kurup • Nammal Thammil — Ramachandran Nair • 2013 — Buddy — Shankaran Namboothiri/Shanku Bhai • Kunjananthante Kada — Adv. Moidu • Kadal Kadannu Oru Maathukutty — Father Vattathara • 2015 — Njan Samvidhanam Cheyyum — Krishna Das • 2016 — Oozham — Krishnamoorthy • 2018 — Ennaalum Sarath..? — Dr. Sam • 2021 — One — Dr. Sreekar Varma • 2023 — Pulimada — Dr. Joshi Kuriyan • A Ranjith Cinema — Chandraprakash • 2026 — Prathichaya — KN Varghese

• Suryodayam (Doordarshan, Direction) • Vilakku Vekkum Neram (Doordarshan) • Megham (Asianet) • Malayogam (Asianet) • Nizhalukal (Asianet) • Shamanathalam

Balachandra Menon was born on 11 January 1954 in Ambalappuzha. Menon held the nationality of India. Menon was educated at University College Thiruvananthapuram and Fatima Mata National College. Menon worked as film director, actor, screenwriter and film producer. Menon was active from 1978. Menon worked in Malayalam.

Menon worked for the screen, as film director, screenwriter and film producer. 39 films survive in the institutional catalogues, spanning 1978 to 2018. Among them are Uthrada Rathri (1978), Radha Enna Pennkutti (1979), Aniyatha Valakkal (1980), Ishtamanu Pakshe (1980), Vaiki Vanna Vasantham (1980) and Kalika (1980). The whole run is set out in the catalogue below.

Civilian Awards: • 2007 – Padma Shri National Film Awards: • 1997 – Best Actor – Samaantharangal • 1997 – Best Film on Family Welfare – Samaantharangal Kerala State Film Awards: • 1979 – Best Screen Play – Uthrada Rathri • 1997 – Special Jury Award – Samaantharangal Filmfare Awards South: • 1983 – Best Director – Karyam Nissaram • 1998 – Best Actor – Samaantharangal Others: • 2018 - Limca Book of Records - Filmmaker who is credited as actor, director and writer in the most number of feature films